Apple HomePod reviews: is it worth it?
Critics praise the speaker’s sound quality but is it a match for Amazon Echo?
Now that Apple’s much hyped iPhone X smartphone has been released, fans have turned their attention to the company's latest product.
The Cupertino-based company is determined to catch up with Amazon and Google, which dominate the smart speaker market, with the launch of its new HomePod.
The HomePod, which boasts a premium design and voice-activated controls, is Apple's first attempt at building a smart speaker. It doesn’t come cheap, though, as the device will cost significantly more than its rivals.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Here’s everything we know so far:
Reviews
Apple has taken “its own sweet time” to enter the competitive smart speaker market, says What Hi-Fi?, but being late is fine “if you’re the life and soul when you arrive”.
The HomePod is just that, according to the magazine. The new Apple speaker is “great at honing in on and delivering the essence of everything you play through it”, delivering deep bass notes without compromising on clarity.
The device can be controlled through the Siri voice assistant, and there are also “rudimentary” touch controls, says The Daily Telegraph.
Siri works seamlessly with the Apple Music streaming service, allowing you to select songs using voice commands and to ask for information about certain albums and artists, the newspaper adds. Apple Music also creates “more interesting playlists” than its rivals, the Amazon Echo and Google Home.
The HomePod is easy to set up, says Expert Reviews. All you have to do is plug the device into a power socket and hold your phone next to it. You don’t even need to type in your Wi-Fi password, as the HomePod copies the settings from your iPhone.
All the same, says The Verge, “Siri has been behind its competitors for some time now and the HomePod doesn’t move it forward in any notable way”.
For instance, Siri is unable to recognise different voices, meaning “anyone can ask the HomePod to send or read your text messages”, says the website. This could be particularly annoying for families with young children, who could use Siri to send messages without permission.
The HomePod “is not perfect”, What Hi-Fi? concludes, but its flaws are small and “there’s every chance that you won’t bump up against any of them at all”.
Price, availability and release
Orders are now open on Apple’s website, with prices starting at £319. This makes the product almost £180 more expensive than its key rival, the Amazon Echo Plus, and £190 more expensive than the Google Home.
Google’s range-topping Home Max is the only device that surpasses the HomePod’s price in the smart speaker market. It’s only available in the US and costs $399, which is $49 more than the HomePod’s stateside price of $350.
Design
The HomePod has a cylindrical design similar to the Google Home and Amazon’s Echo smart speakers, says Mac World. The device is “under seven inches tall” and features a “mesh fabric” that covers most of it.
At the top of the device is a touch sensitive panel used to control the speaker, the website says. The panel displays a multicoloured waveform when users activate Apple’s personal assistant Siri.
The speaker’s proportions are a “bit squat compared to Amazon and Google’s more slender equivalents”, the site adds, but it still has a “meticulous design” that’s “comfortably Apple”.
Only two colours are available – white and space grey.
Features
The HomePod is a wireless smart speaker that can be controlled using Siri, Apple’s voice assistant, says Tech Radar. Apple Music will be the device’s primary streaming service, but Spotify can play music on the speaker using Apple’s wireless AirPlay connection.
You can control other connected devices in the home through the HomePod, such as smart lights and power sockets, the website says. Plus, you can pair the device to an Apple TV or iPod that’s on the same wi-fi network as the speaker.
While there’s no iPhone-style screen on the HomePod, you can send messages to friends or family using Siri, according to The Daily Telegraph. Simply dictate your text to the onboard assistant and tell it to send the message. Apple’s iMassage and WhatsApp will be supported at launch, the newspaper says. Other chat apps will also join the roster in the near future.
Multi-room playback, which allows you to listen to the same song on several HomePods throughout your home, is available as standard. If you buy two speakers, you can connect them wirelessly to form a stereo pair.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Today's political cartoons - November 2, 2024
Cartoons Saturday's cartoons - anti-fascism, early voter turnout, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Geoff Capes obituary: shot-putter who became the World’s Strongest Man
In the Spotlight The 'mighty figure' was a two-time Commonwealth Champion and world-record holder
By The Week UK Published
-
Israel attacks Iran: a 'limited' retaliation
Talking Point Iran's humiliated leaders must decide how to respond to Netanyahu's measured strike
By The Week UK Published
-
'Stunningly lifelike' AI podcasts are here
Under the Radar Users are amazed – and creators unnerved – by Google tool that generates human conversation from text in moments
By Abby Wilson Published
-
How will the introduction of AI change Apple's iPhone?
Today's Big Question 'Apple Intelligence' is set to be introduced on the iPhone 16 as part of iOS 18
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
FDA OKs Apple AirPods as OTC hearing aids
Speed read The approved software will turn Apple's AirPods Pro 2 headphones into over-the-counter hearing aids
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Will the Google antitrust ruling shake up the internet?
Today's Big Question And what does that mean for users?
By Joel Mathis, The Week US Published
-
Wall Street tumbles on poor tech results
Speed Read US markets had their worst day since 2022 as Tesla and AI stocks dropped
By Arion McNicoll, The Week UK Published
-
Why is the tech industry up in arms about Google's search algorithm leak?
Today's Big Question A leak of about 2,500 documents shed light on how Google's search engine operates, and not everyone is happy
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
Apple unveils AI integration, ChatGPT partnership
Speed Read AI capabilities will be added to a bulked-up Siri and other apps, in partnership with OpenAI's ChatGPT
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Apple Intelligence: iPhone maker set to overhaul the AI experience
In the Spotlight A 'top-to-bottom makeover of the iPhone' sees the tech giant try to win the consumer AI game
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published